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common cpd activities

Examples of Common CPD Activities By Levels

The three levels of CPD activities

CPD activities are classified as either a Level One, Level Two or Level Three activity.

The three levels reflect a hierarchy of CPD activities based on the ability of the activity to effect change in practitioner behaviour and patient outcomes which is the ultimate aim and purpose behind undertaking CPD.

Level One
Level Two
Level Three
Summary

Level One

What are Level One activities?

Level One activities are considered to be those activities that provide the participant with information to improve their practice. The level of demand on the participant is considered to be releatively low.

Generally, these learning activities tend to focus on increasing knowledge and skills and include the more traditional, passive activities such as lectures, conferences, journal reading and grand rounds.

Examples of Level One activities
  • Local, national, international meetings, symposia, workshops: attendance, presentation, chairing
  • Hospital grand rounds
  • Self-assessment tests
  • Journal clubs
  • Individual reading: journals, texts
  • College / professional association / hospital involvement
    eg committee membership
  • Grant application reviews
  • Literature searches
  • Expert witness / medico-legal activities
  • Computer-based learning
  • Overseas aid trips / pro-bono work
  • Morbidity / mortality meetings
  • Clinico-pathology meetings

Level Two

What are Level Two activities?

Level Two activities are those where there is a higher demand on the participant. Generally it is expected that involvement in these activities will ensure the participant can demonstrate maintenance of best practice standards and / or can demonstrate that they have implemented a particular activity or facilitated changes in practice and health outcomes. Key factors are collection of data related to a particular question / issue.

Level Two activities include things such as preparation for and taking part in a practice review or clinical audit, critical incident monitoring, trying a new approach or technique, participative workshops, quality control studies and patient satisfaction surveys.

Examples of Level Two activities
  • Critical incident monitoring
  • Criteria auditing
  • Practice review
  • Simulator / skill centre sessions involving implementation of learning
  • Primary clinical research
  • Patient/family, carer satisfaction studies
  • Retrospective peer review of cases
  • Quality control studies
  • Development of clinical practice guidelines
  • Benchmarking studies arising from clinical indicators
  • College / professional association / hospital examiner
  • Trainee supervision
  • Mentoring
  • Teaching – where new materials & interaction with learners is provided
  • Presentations to community groups
  • Writing and publishing – peer reviewed
  • Video / audio tapes: production and use
  • Data collection, collation and analysis
  • Patient satisfaction surveys
  • Referring doctor’s satisfaction surveys
  • Formal postgraduate courses (Masters, Ph.D)
  • Participative workshops

Level Three

What are Level Three activities?

Level Three activities are those that have the highest demand on the participant. Generally, these would involve change and evaluation activities where the practitioner evaluates the impact of an activity or intervention, perhaps resulting from involvement in a Level Two activity. An adjustment is made to address a problem or an issue and the effect measured.

Level Three activities include things such as trying out a new approach or technique and evaluating the outcomes; peer reviews and audits - implementation of recommendations and evaluation of the improvements made; completion of a quality cycle where an action plan has been developed, implemented and evaluated.

In a Level Three activity it is important that an intervention or adjustment is made to address a problem and the effect of the change is measured.

Examples of Level Three activities
  • Collaborative outcome projects
  • Clinical trial participation; practice is developed, adherence to best practice guidelines and evaluation of outcomes
  • Completion of a quality cycle where an action plan has been developed, implemented and evaluated
  • Peer reviews and audits - implementation of practice visit recommendations and evaluation

Summary

The three levels of CPD activities

Level One

Focus on knowledge, skills

Increasing knowledge and skills through activities involving participation

Level Two

Change-facilitating activities

Facilitate and implement change in practice and health outcomes or demonstration of best practice standards. Key factors are collection of data related to a particular question/issue or the ability to demonstrate an improvement in practice outcomes resulting from increased knowledge or skill

Level Three

Change-evaluating activities

Implementation and evaluation of an activity or intervention, perhaps resulting from involvement in Level 2 activities. Key factor is the demonstration that the effect(s) of selected intervention(s) has been measured or evaluated.

 

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Activities by Level

 

 

 

 

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